你可以選擇、決定、創造你的人生─1070527佛學講座：淺釋《地藏菩薩本願經》第十二講講座報導You Can Choose, Decide, and Create Your Own Life--- Dharma Lecture Twelve of “Sutra of the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva” on May 27, 2018 @ 中華清淨學佛協會

本次講座進行到《地藏菩薩本願經》第五品〈地獄名號品〉、第六品〈如來讚歎品〉。

In this lecture, the Teacher gave the speech on Chapter 5 “The Names of the Hells” and Chapter 6 “The Praise of the Tathagata” of “Sutra of the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva.”

老師為使我們在聽聞〈地獄名號品〉時，不至於因為太恐怖而心生逃避，或太遙遠不可見而心生不信，特意把解說內容放在「面對、接受宇宙的真理：因果法則」。因果法則並非一種宗教式勸誡，而是真實的物理現象。不論我們情緒上接受與否，但我們每天都活在其中，例如我們知道要開爐火，才有熱能；有熱能，才可以將生食變熟食。就像農夫知道必須播種、施肥，時候到了，才有收穫。同理，如果我們希望生活在和諧的氣氛中，我們應自己先對人和善、關懷；如果我們希望工作上有成就，必須平時勤懇學習及付出，而非交差討巧。反之，惡心傷害生命，不思止息，終會回收被傷害的果，嚴重者墮入地獄道，地獄也不是誰建造來懲罰誰的，而是一顆堅硬、冰冷、灼烈、猛利的惡心，自然召感得來的。因此，《地藏菩薩本願經》第五品云：「莫輕小惡，以為無罪，死後有報，纖毫受之。」

In order to make us not be too scared to escape or consider it too far away from being visible and deem unbelievable when learned the Chapter “The Names of the Hells”, the Teacher particularly illustrated the content on “Face and accept the truth of the universe---Rule of Cause and Effect.” The rule of cause and effect is not a religious exhortation but a real physical phenomenon. No matter whether we accept it emotionally or not, we live in it every day. For example, we understand that we have to turn on the stove to have thermal energy and then we can make the raw food to cooked food with such thermal energy. Just like the farmer knows that he must sow and fertilize first and then he could harvest. Similarly, if we want to live in a harmonious atmosphere, we should first be kind to and caring about people. If we want to have achievement at work, we must learn diligently and devote in peacetime rather than do things perfunctorily and take the easy way out. On the contrary, to hurt lives maliciously and never consider stopping, it will get the effect of being hurt in return eventually, so those who seriously hurt lives will fall into the Hell. The Hell is not built by one to punish the other but naturally called by a bad intention which is hard, cold, burning, and keen. Therefore, as stated in the Chapter 5 of “Sutra of the Original Vows of Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva”, Sentient beings must not underestimate small wrongs and consider them harmless, for after death there will be ripened effects to be experienced to the most exact detail.

講座尾聲，有人提問：「如果親人一直造惡，但勸也不聽，怎麼辦？」老師回答：「你好好持佛號或誦經迴向對方，不要懷疑，不要放棄。」提問者又說：「萬一沒用呢？」老師以自己例子體會說道：「如果你放棄了，也許就差那一步就到達，你不可惜嗎？如果你真心為他，請不要放棄！諸佛菩薩的威神及宇宙的慈愛，一定會幫助他明白、改變。」

At the end of the lecture, one attendant asked that “If our relatives keep creating the bad karma and do not take any advice, what could we do?” The Teacher taught that “You can keep chanting the Buddha’s name or the Sutra and dedicate the merit to them. Do neither doubt nor give up.” The attendant further asked “What if it doesn’t work out?” The Teacher guided with her own experience “If you give up and maybe it is just one step ahead, will you regret? If you sincerely care about them, please don’t give up. The magnificent virtues of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas and the love of the universe will surely help them understand and change.”

老師最後勉勵我們：也許大家會覺得因果法則像是牢籠，無法掙脫。但為何不從另一面來看？正因為一切都在因果法則之下，那麼只要你持續種對因，你就能得到你要的果，所以，其實，你可以選擇你的人生、決定你的人生、創造你的人生。

The Teacher then encouraged us “Maybe you will consider that the rule of cause and effect is like a cage where you cannot break free from. However, why don’t you look on the other side? It is because of everything is under the rule of cause and effect so that as long as you continuously make the correct causes, you can get whatever effect you want. Thus, in fact, you can choose your life, decide your life, and create your life.”